Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

American Made Advocacy: Member Profile—Melanie Bera Anderson

What was your path to Pro-Tech?
I learned the business from the ground up at TRC starting in 1997. I worked in shipping and as a receptionist. Eventually this led to working with engineers and gave me a practical understanding of design vs. manufacturing. We were doing some exciting work. We built the antenna on the Mars Polar Lander and the first GPS system for the Tomahawk Cruise Missile.

Five years in, the owners of the company wanted out, so I bought TRC. That was a tough period as work was moving to Asia. We dropped from 55 employees to 13. The only way we survived was to work across multiple industries, keep turning out quality products, and take on work from 10 small shops in Minneapolis that had gone out of business.

In 2018, TRC Circuits created American Circuit Corporation to purchase Pro-Tech Interconnect Solutions LLC. Pro-Tech was 10X bigger than TRC. In 2022–23, we combined TRC with Pro-Tech and have 83 employees at one facility in Chaska, Minnesota, as Pro-Tech Interconnect Solutions LLC. Pro-Tech is a 100% Owned and Operated Certified Woman Owned Small Business.

What interested you in this industry?
I enjoyed working with engineering groups from all over the world to build their boards with the challenge of emerging technologies, running rapid prototyping, and seeing them progress. For example, 3G to 20G in the manufacturing of cellphones, industrial controls, and the continued advances by the Department of Defense in various technologies.

Where is the industry headed?
If we want this industry to grow, we need to get the same kind of support and attention that semiconductors have received. We need the boards built in the U.S. and have the semiconductors put on in the U.S. If we get the PCBS Act passed, it will help companies like mine to upgrade facilities and equipment to improve technology. The equipment needed to produce PCBs is extremely expensive. The tax incentive in the PCBS Act would encourage OEMs to buy American-made boards. That would create the kind of demand that would help bring more manufacturing back to the U.S.

We recently had U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer (of Minnesota) visit our facility. He saw our operation and heard what we need to grow and protect the industry. I was also in Washington, D.C., in June at the PCBAA annual meeting where we met with other lawmakers to ask for their support. I joined PCBAA on the spot when Executive Director David Schild called last year, because I understood the importance of having a unified voice in Washington and that we are essential in protecting national security in the United States.

How can we attract young men and women to a career in microelectronics?
I have found that the younger generation likes hands-on manufacturing. They pick it up quickly. We try to keep them challenged and give them the skills to continue to grow with us. We give them a clear path to their next stage here. Our employees are our greatest asset.

This column originally appeared in the August 2023 issue of PCB007 Magazine.